Sarasota County transit director Jane Grog briefed the joint meeting on May 16 about the county’s Breeze branded network, the expansion of on‑demand shared service, efforts to shift eligible paratransit riders to lower‑cost options and an upcoming county hearing on a proposed fare change.

"Approximately 63% of those rides end up being shared," Grog said of the on‑demand trips, which the county operates in multiple zones and which the presenter compared to a shared ride service rather than a private ride‑hail. She said the Breeze On Demand service launched in June 2021 by reinvesting savings from low‑productivity fixed routes and that the program has increased ridership: the system recorded over 380,000 rides in 2024 and passed the 1,000,000‑ride mark last year.

Grog described three on‑demand zones that touch Venice — Venice‑Inglewood, Northport and a Downtown Sarasota/Lido/Longboat/ St. Armands zone — and explained BreezePlus, the eligibility‑based paratransit service that operates within three‑quarters of a mile of fixed routes and serves riders who are disabled, age 65 or income‑eligible. She said staff are encouraging eligible BreezePlus riders to use the on‑demand public service when practical and have begun allowing prebooking for those riders to increase adoption.

Operational statistics Grog provided included a 30‑minute maximum response time (average estimated time of arrival roughly 18 minutes) and an approximate fleet of 48–50 on‑demand vehicles operated under contract. She said about 96% of on‑demand trips last month were booked via the app rather than by phone, generating detailed trip data to inform planning.

Grog told the boards the county will consider a fare change at a June 3 public hearing that would raise the base on‑demand fare from $2 to $3 and add $1 per mile up to six miles, while keeping transportation disadvantaged fares at $1.50. She said staff are also pursuing contracting and software changes to facilitate commingling of paratransit and on‑demand trips to lower per‑trip costs.

Commissioners and council members praised the service, asked about fleet sizing and service expansion, and were told future growth decisions will weigh ridership data, demographic trends and available funding. No new county action was taken at the joint meeting; Grog said county staff would return to public hearings for any formal fare changes.